Pooper scooper

Abstract

A pooper scooper for disposing of solid wastes from a pet animal, comprises a relatively short body having a hollow portion provided in its interior and extending along a bottom portion thereof, the hollow portion having an opening at one end thereof, a linear slit extending along the bottom portion of the body, and a housing portion for carrying vertical stacked cartridges therein, the housing portion being provided in the interior of the body, situated on the hollow portion and communicating with the hollow portion, each of the cartridges including a pair of casing members hingedly connected at one ends thereof to each other and a sack supported and contained between the casing members in a manner to be folded up, a pair of receiving members movably inserted in the hollow portion for receiving a lowermost one of the cartridges, a pusher movably inserted within the hollow portion for pushing out of the opening of the hollow portion the lowermost cartridge received by the receiving members, the receiving members pivotally connected at one ends thereof to the pusher, between which receiving members a spring is stretched, to thereby alway urge the receiving members to be opened away from each other, cooperating members on the receiving members and the casing members to be separately held on the receiving members when each of the cartridges is received by the receiving members, and a button arranged on an outer surface of the bottom portion of the body and supported through the slit of the body to the pusher.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A pooper scooper for disposing of solid wastes from a pet animal, comprising: a relatively short body having hollow means provided in its interior in a manner to extend along a bottom portion of said body, said hollow means having an opening formed at one end thereof as a continuation of said hollow means to communicate with the exterior of said body, linear slit means formed in the bottom portion of said body in a manner to extend along the bottom portion of said body and communicating between said hollow means and the exterior of said body, and housing means for carrying vertically stacked cartridges therein, said housing means being provided in the interior of said body, situated on said hollow means and communicating with said hollow means;   each of said cartridges including a pair of casing members hingedly connected at one ends thereof to each other and sack means having an opening for receiving solid wastes from said pet animal, said sack means supported and contained between said casing members in a manner to be folded up;   cartridge receiving means movably inserted in said hollow means of said body for receiving a lowermost one of said cartridges within said housing means when said lowermost cartridge drops down from said housing means toward said hollow means by gravity;   pusher means movably inserted within said hollow means of said body for pushing out from said opening of said hollow means said cartridge received by said cartridge receiving means;   said cartridge receiving means including a pair of cartridge receiving members pivotally connected at one ends thereof to said pusher means, and spring means provided between said cartridge receiving members to always urge said cartridge receiving members to be opened away from each other;   first cooperating means on said cartridge receiving members and said casing members of each of said cartridges for causing one of said casing members to be held on one of said cartridge receiving members and causing the other of said casing members to be held on the other of said cartridge receiving members when each of said cartridges is received by said cartridge receiving means; and   slidable button means arranged on an outer surface of the bottom portion of said body and supported through said slit means to said pusher means, so that when a user causes said button means to be slid along said slit means while pushing said button means, said pusher means can be moved along said hollow means while pushing said cartridge receiving means.   
     
     
       2. A pooper scooper as defined in claim 1, wherein said pusher means is provided with a projection projecting downwardly from an under surface thereof, said projection penetrating said linear slit means, said button means being supported to said projection. 
     
     
       3. A pooper scooper as defined in claim 1, wherein said body comprises a first section and a second section which are fitted together and fastened together by means of screws. 
     
     
       4. A pooper scooper as defined in claim 1, wherein said body is formed into a substantially streamline shape. 
     
     
       5. A pooper scooper as defined in claim 1, wherein said first cooperating means comprises engaging hook-like pieces and projections combination. 
     
     
       6. A pooper scooper as defined in claim 5, wherein each of said cartridge receiving members has a substantially L-shaped body in vertical section, said cartridge receiving members being pivotally connected at said one ends thereof to said pusher means with horizontal portions thereof being faced to each other; wherein each of said casing members takes the form of a substantially box-like body having a substantially U-like configuration in vertical section, said casing members being hingedly connected at said one ends thereof to each other with open sides thereof being faced to each other; and wherein said engaging hook-like pieces and projections combination comprises hook-like pieces formed at faced edge portions of free ends of said casing members, said hook-like pieces having root portions extending laterally from said faced edge portions of said free ends of said casing members and bent portions extending from said root portions in directions opposite to each other, and projections projecting laterally from faced edge portions of free ends of said cartridge receiving members; wherein said cartridge receiving members are so designed as to allow a space to be provided between said projections thereof when said cartridge receiving members are closed toward each other against an action of said spring means, so that when each of said cartridges drops down onto said cartridge receiving members, said root portions of said hook-like pieces of said casing members are received in the space between said projections of said cartridge receiving members and each of said bent portions of said hook-like pieces is engaged with one of said projections of said cartridge receiving members. 
     
     
       7. A pooper scooper as defined in claim 6, wherein each of the vertical portions of said L-shaped cartridge receiving members has a notch to allow a user's finger to be inserted therethrough. 
     
     
       8. A pooper scooper as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said cartridges includes second cooperating means for preventing said casing members from being accidentally opened away from each other during storage. 
     
     
       9. A pooper scooper as defined in claim 6, wherein said second cooperating means comprises at least one through-hole formed in one of said casing members and at least one projection provided on the other of said casing members. 
     
     
       10. A pooper scooper as defined in claim 1, wherein said sack means is supported at a part of a margin of said opening thereof to said casing members by means of mounting plates. 
     
     
       11. A pooper scooper as defined in claim 1, wherein said sack means is attached at a part of a margin of said opening thereof to said casing members by adhesives. 
     
     
       12. A pooper scooper as defined in claim 1, wherein said housing means is opened at an upper portion thereof and said opened upper portion of said housing means is covered by cover means. 
     
     
       13. A pooper scooper as defined in claim 12, wherein said cover means comprises a substantially plate-like body and first and second leaf springs which are attached at one end portions thereof to an under surface of said plate-like body, said plate-like body having a first projecting piece extending laterally from one end of said plate-like body and a second projecting piece extending laterally from the other end of said plate-like body, said first projecting piece being provided with an engaging projection extending in the direction opposite to the direction in which said first projecting piece extends, said first leaf spring having a through-hole, said leaf springs crossing each other by causing a free end of said second leaf spring to be inserted through said through-hole of said first leaf spring; wherein said pooper scooper body has a recess formed in a portion thereof which is in close proximity to said opened upper portion of said housing means, and a through-hole formed in an upper portion of a wall of said housing means which is opposite to a forming position of said recess, said recess including a dent portion extending toward said housing means; and wherein when said housing means is to be covered by said cover means, said leaf springs are inserted into said housing means, said projection of said first projecting piece is engaged with said dent portion of said recess, and said second projecting piece is inserted through said through-hole which is formed in the upper portion of the wall of said housing means. 
     
     
       14. A pooper scooper as defined in claim 1, further including guide means for guiding said cartridges vertically stacked within said housing means. 
     
     
       15. A pooper scooper as defined in claim 14, wherein each of said cartridge receiving members has a substantially L-shaped body in vertical section, said cartridge receiving members being pivotally connected at said one ends thereof to said pusher means with horizontal portions thereof being faced to each other and with root portions thereof being spaced apart from each other; wherein each of said casing members takes the form of a substantially box-like body having a substantially U-like configuration in vertical section, said casing members integrally interconnected at edge portions of sad one ends thereof through an intermediate section with opened sides thereof being faced to each other, said intermediate section being formed with a fold line extending vertically at substantially the midpoint along a width length of said intermediate section; wherein said first cooperating means comprises hook-like pieces and projections combination, said hook-like pieces and projections combination comprising hook-like pieces formed at faced edge portions of free ends of said casing members, said hook-like pieces having root portions extending laterally from said faced edge portions of said free ends of said casing members and bent portions extending from said root portions in directions opposite to each other, and projections projecting laterally from faced edge portions of free ends of said cartridge receiving members; and wherein said guide means comprises first and second spaced guide plates provided in said housing means, each of said guide plates being spaced from opposite walls of said housing means and arranged in parallel with said opposite walls of said housing means, each of said guide plates having a linear guide slit, each of said cartridges being adapted to be stored within said housing means with said casing members thereof being closed toward each other, with said intermediate section thereof being folded along said fold line, with said root portions of said hook-like pieces of said closed casing members being received in said guide slit of said first guide plate, with said bent portions of said hook-like pieces being received in a space between said first guide plate and one of said walls of said housing means, and with said folded intermediate section being received in said guide slit of said second guide plate in a manner to project at its tip end in a space between said second guide plate and the other of said walls of said housing means, said cartridge receiving members being so designed as to allow a space to be provided between said projections of said cartridge receiving members when said cartridge receiving members are closed toward each other against an action of said spring means, said cartridge receiving members being so designed as to allow said space between said projections of said cartridge receiving members to be aligned with a guide slit of said first guide plate and allow a space between said root portions of said cartridge receiving members to be aligned with a guide slit of said second guide plate when said cartridge receiving members arrive at a position just below said housing means. 
     
     
       16. A pooper scooper as defined in claim 15, wherein each of the vertical portions of said L-shaped cartridge receiving members has a notch to allow a user's finger to be inserted therethrough. 
     
     
       17. A pooper scooper as defined in claim 1, further including means for causing said cartridge receiving members to be aligned with said housing means when said cartridge receiving members are moved in a direction along said hollow means by said button means and arrive at a position just below said housing means.